Patent GB-751075-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to parking meter
IPC: G07F17/24
Filed: 1954-08-13
Abstract: 751,075. Parking meters. MICHAELS ART BRONZE CO., Inc. Aug. 13, 1954 [Sept. 1. 1953]. No. 23575/54. Class 27 A parking meter has an indicator flag 102, 103 settable to various time-indicating positions according to the value of the coin or coins inserted and the value of each coin is measured by a hammer 55 that engages the coin at a coin-measuring station, and. according to its position, sets the appropriate stop .on a stop plate 96, Fig. 14, in the path of a pawl 70 to disengage it from a ratchet wheel 15 connected to the flag when the flag has been moved to a time-indicating position corresponding to the value of the coin. The invention is described as applied to a twin parking meter, having a common timer with an output gear 6 on each side driven through a one-way clutch 12. as described in Specification 751.073. A coin inserted through a slot 18 presses against a coin-slot door 20 on a strut 21 pivotally connected at 26 to an actuator 28. Initially, the strut moves rearwardly, guided by a latch 30, and pivots the actuator about 29 but, when the latch meets an adjustable stop 37 a roller 33 disengages from surface 34 and moves upwardly in an opening 32, thus allowing a spring 38 to return the activator to initial position. The strut 21 also returns to initial position and the door 20, moving over the coin, projects it into a shoot 39. The initial pivoting of the actuator, through a slotted link 42, releases an arresting pawl 47 from the ratchet wheel 15 and rotates a carrier 43 counterclockwise about a bush 16 until a surface 49 on the carrier is engaged by a latch 50 and also. through another slotted link 51, rotates the hammer 55 clockwise about a bush 56 until a surface 57 is engaged by a trigger 58. As the hammer rotates, a cam surface on the hammer cams a coin pawl 62, Fig. 4, so that a tongue 61a extending into a coin pocket is moved away from its normal position and allows a previously-deposited coin to drop on to the end 109 of a rod 110, where it rests opposite a window until the trigger 58 rotates the rod upon insertion of the next coin and releases the first coin into a coin box. The latch 50 is cammed into engagement with the surface 49 by a surface 67 on the carrier and, in moving, it disengages a latch 68, Fig. 10, from a tab 69 on the driving pawl 70 pivoted on the carrier. thus allowing the pawl to move towards engagement with the ratchet wheel. This engagement is however, prevented by an adjustable stop 73 engaged by a tail 74 of the driving pawl. As the hammer rotates. it engages a finger 78 on a bobweight 77 and pivots it about the bush 56 into a vertical position. Another adjustable pin 79 on the actuator 28 engages a cam surface 80 on a lever 81 to rotate the lever so that a cam surface 83 on the other end of the lever holds the driving pawl 70 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel while a coin is being inserted and prevents fraudulent operation by rapid insertion of two coins. With the carrier 43, hammer 55 and bobweight 77 in cocked position the coin falls down the shoot 39 and strikes a finger 84 on the trigger 58. thus releasing the hammer so that it is swung downwardly by a spring 86. A hammer pin 87 forces the coin against a stop 88, Fig. 14, and base pin 90 and the tongue 61a of the coin pawl 62, which is released bv the falling hammer, holds the coin resiliently, against the stop. The bobweight. no longer supported by the hammer, also falls but more slowly in order to allow the hammer to seat the coin properly, and when it reaches its lowest position, a finger 92 releases the latch 50 thus allowing the carrier 43 to rotate clockwise until the driving pawl tail 74 leaves the stop 73. The pawl 70 then engages the ratchet wheel and rotates it clockwise by an amount determined by the value of the inserted coin. which is measured because the position of the pin 87 determins which one of three or more stops 97, 98, 99 lies in the path of a finger 100 on the pawl and causes disengagement of the pawl from the ratchet. The stops are provided on a plate 96 that is removably fitted on the hammer so that it can be readily exchanged to adapt the meter for different coin values. The stops 97 and 98 correspond to settings of 5 degrees and 25 degrees and a further stop corresponding to the maximum value setting of 50 degrees may be provided or the pawl may be disengaged for this setting by the indicator flag 103 engaging a tab 81a, Fig. 3, on the lever 81 and thus causing the cam surface 83 to disengage the driving pawl. The stop 99 is engaged if a too-small coin succeeds in passing the trigger 58 but the advance allowed does not give a useful amount of parking time. The stops on the hammer may be dimensioned so that they are engaged only when the hammer measures coins within a given diameter tolerance range and additional no-coin stops similar to 99 may be provided on either side of the stops 97, 98. Additional lower value coins may be inserted after the first to increase the amount of parking time purchased. The pawl 70 is held disengaged from the ratchet wheel until the meter is again cocked by the engagement of the latch 68 with the tab 69 on the pawl. Signal flags 102, 103 co-operating with scales 106, 107 at the rear and front of the meter are mounted on a frame 104 secured to the ratchet wheel by a bolt 105 in a slot 105a this lost-motion connection preventing the flags from being advanced by vibrating the meter post. A weight on the frame 104 tends to rotate the flags toward the violation position and the flags are returned at a timed rate by the engagement of the gear teeth 14 on the ratchet wheel with the clock gear 6 driven through the one-way clutch 12. The flags may move beyond the zero points of the scale to indicate a period of overtime parking and a high ratchet tooth 76 is engaged by the pawl 70 during its initial movement, while still resting on the stop 73 to ensure that the flags are returned to zero before setting to a purchased time position begins.